The 1907 Waingongoro River Bridge is now by-passed with a nearby new road and bridge. This 1907 bridge replaced an earlier wooden Waingongoro bridge which became badly decayed and unsafe, so weight restrictions had to be made. The new reinforced concrete bridge was finally opened in April 1908.
The Hawera Star (24 April 1908) reported that "This bridge is now completed ..... and traffic has been over the bridge for the past two weeks." However, the new bridge developed some cracks and there was some settlement of the abutment filling meaning repairs were soon required to rectify the faults.
The bridge engineer was County Engineer Frederick Basham, who married Maude Ruby Taylor of New Plymouth in 1904. She later became the famous 'Aunt Daisy' of New Zealand's radio waves of the mid-20th century.
Text of marble plaque reads:
Waingongoro
This bridge was erected by
the Hawera County Council
in the year 1907 AD
W. Goodland - Chairman
F. Basham - Engineer
A. W. Buckland - Contractor
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